I Can Hear A Love Song
by Cloudshaper
Summary: A hot summer afternoon knows exactly how to work its wonders... one-shot


_A/N: I was bored at 12:30 in the morning, so I just kind of came up with this. Hopefully it doesn't suck. X)_

_Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own the show. _

The air was unusually warm, especially for the time of day. How could the temperature be so high this late in the day? The sun was nearly about to dip beneath the far off mountain range, draping a luscious scarlet blanket across the sky. The odd, yet beautiful Fire Nation trees were beginning to cast shadows on the ground. The splendid late summer afternoon could not have looked more beautiful.

A small house sat perched along a leg of the mountain, overlooking a small lake. The area was secluded, almost as a vacation spot, specifically for the Avatar and his companions. The house, unused for centuries, was an offering to the Avatar after he restored balance to the world. On this particular afternoon, most of the Avatar's group lay inside the house, asleep, letting the lazy day slip by. However, not everyone was wasting the day away…

"Aang, where'd you go?" Katara called out, pushing strands of her thick brunette hair out of her eyes. Sweat beads traced the top of her brow, and she wiped them away. Her eyes shifted back and forth, looking for the boy. She ran a bit further, stopping at a tree. She placed a hand on the dense body of it, catching her breathe.

Once she caught her breathe, she stood up tall, folded her arms and leaned against the tree.

"Fine then, I guess I'll just sit here and sleep," she threatened jokingly, sliding down the side of the trunk. Almost immediately, a shower of flowers began to rain around her; beautiful, crimson flowers surrounding her. Her head tilted upward, and there sat the airbender, shirtless, waving down to her.

She smiled as her eyes focused on him. He grinned back, and jumped out of the tree on the opposite side. Katara leapt to her feet, and rounded the tree, ready to tackle her best friend, but stood confused as she simply grabbed the air. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, pulling her down to the ground. Katara gave a light scream that echoed in the trees, and laughed loudly, Aang's fingers tickling her sides. She slid onto her back at the base of the tree, struggling to pull his tattooed hands off of her body.

Aang smiled down at her impishly, his fingers flying over her bare midriff. As soon as he felt she had deserved enough, he stopped.

"I told you I'd get you back!" he laughed childishly.

Aang stood up and outstretched his long, tattooed arm, offering the waterbender some assistance. She looked at his hand, and then at him. He suddenly looked so _mature_.

Katara felt herself blush softly. She had hesitated to go any further with Aang after his final battle with Ozai. She had kissed him, yes, and expressed an immense interest in him, but she opted to wait a while before actually pursuing a relationship. She had asked him to wait for her, to which he obliged. She promised she would give herself to him, and he accepted the offer without hesitation. As long as he knew they would be together at some point in his life, he was content. Katara, on the other hand, felt that she had waited long enough, although the Fire Lord's defeat was still fresh in the world.

She placed her hand in his, and as he helped her up, she knocked him down playfully again, though with great force.

Aang fell down, and this time, Katara fell with him. He raised his hands and kept her lifted, floating slightly above him. The setting summer sun illuminated her face, enhancing her normally beautiful face. Aang felt himself blushing, and she began to tickle him. She smiled, sweat running down her face. She wore a satisfied expression that caused Aang to blush deeper than before.

"You—are—_beautiful,_" he choked out through his laughter. Katara stopped. He let her down gently, so that her knees hit the soft grass beside him. She still found herself leaning over him, and she pinned his arms down with her own bronzed ones.

For a moment, Katara looked as though she would run, and Aang felt a disgusting drop in his stomach. When she simply didn't move, he felt his heart rate increase. His body, warm from the outdoor heat, grew even warmer. He could feel his blood beginning to boil in a way he'd never experienced before. The sensation was all over his body, in places he wasn't used to, and he blushed even deeper. He swallowed hard.

Katara's half-lidded eyes, examined every aspect of his face, and she ran her hands up and down his periwinkle tattoos, examining them.

"_These _are beautiful," she whispered softly. Her eyes twinkled, her sapphire ones fixated onto his overcast ones. "I've never said it…but I love them." She said honestly. Aang could feel a heat wave radiating off of her onto him. He was uncomfortable, yet completely content all at once. He wasn't sure if he wanted to throw her off of him, or lean upwards and kiss her again. He breathed in deeply and released, looking at her once again.

Oh yes, the second urge was _much _stronger.

Aang closed his eyes, letting his instincts take control. He fought against her, bringing his hands to the small of her back, pulling her down onto him. Her hands, now placed at his neck, slipped down onto his bare chest. He heard her whisper his name and felt a thrill he had never known. What were these feelings? Why were they suddenly controlling every one of his actions? He thought for a moment, as Katara lowered her head to rest it in the crook of his neck. He searched into the deepest parts of his mind. He could have sworn he'd heard Sokka talk about them once before…

"_They're called 'hormones' and every normal kid goes through it, simple as that" he said as he took a bite out of a juicy, red apple. _

"_H-hormones?" the young airbender asked, wincing at the word. It didn't sound like a subject he felt up to talking about. _

"_Yeah, it's like when you get these…urges." _

"_Urges?"_

_Sokka suddenly looked uncomfortable. "…Yeah….when you want to…I don't know….touch someone?" he faltered. He smacked his forehead. "It's just when you __**really **__like someone, and they're all you can think about, and then suddenly you just, you just…"_

_Aang raised a hand. "It's ok Sokka, we can talk about this later," he said, and Sokka released a sigh of relief. An awkward silence filled the room._

"_I'm just gonna go now," Sokka blurted, and exited the room without hesitation._

So these _hormones_ were the ones to blame. Aang couldn't say he didn't like the feeling, it was just that he found himself scared of them. They frightened him.

Katara raised her head again, her eyes focused on his lips. Aang felt a jolt in his stomach as she lowered her head closer to his. She had kissed him before, but this is _much _different. They hadn't been alone in the forest, practically on top of each other. She came closer, and closer until her lips were finally upon his, soft and delicate. He responded as best he could, feeling helplessly awkward, yet so blissful that he didn't care. He felt her deepen the kiss, and her hands pressed his neck gingerly.

After a moment of tender kissing, she pulled away slightly.

"I don't want to wait any longer Aang," she said, her eyes now looking into his. "I'm ready for a relationship with you. I realized that I was before, I was just kind of afraid to go through with it." Aang sat upright, taking her hands in his.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because…you're the _Avatar_," she whispered.

Aang found his way to the tree, leaning against it, pulling Katara into his embrace. He hugged her, rubbing her back tenderly.

"That's nothing to worry about, Katara. That will never stop me from loving you. It never has before," he said reassuringly. "I've always been in love you, since the very beginning."

He felt Katara's body release its tension at his soothing words, and she sighed into his arms. They sat there like that for a couple of minutes, in silence. They lack of words seemed to speak louder than his own. In the silence, Katara could feel his love radiating off of him…or maybe it was just the heat of the day. She could feel herself growing once again, not minding it this time. She raised her head, kissing him lightly again, before settling in his embrace again, his arms encircling her.

"I love you so much, Katara, I always will," he whispered.

Aang closed his eyes. He was at a loss for words.

"I love you too," she whispered, smiling into his bare chest, sure of her feelings for the first time. Yes, this was right. Aang smiled at her words, at a loss to find his own.

Together, the young couple fell fast asleep in the heat of the fading afternoon, the crimson flowers enveloping them in silence.


End file.
